In part one I discussed the broad mind set that is needed to truly progress to ones goals in a successful and sane way.
In this second installment I am going to start to cover one of my personal experiences in my own drastic, broad scope body and lifestyle transformations that will lend some clarity to how this mind set works and the initial steps to gaining the athletic mindset.
A jump back in the history to my first glimpse of the positive performance based mindset, and arguably my most impressive and drastic change to date. I was fat, down right obese at 300+ lbs on a 6’ 1” only slightly trained frame.
I was active, so I had some lean mass, but I was fat. I ate crap, and as much crap as I wanted, and drank copious amounts of hops, barley and soda pop. I had half heartedly tried this or that restrictive diet or that training approach over the years, all with one of two things common.
They were either based on how much you have to suffer and/or the pain you must create, or how simple and effortless they were to a fault. “just jump on the Ronco ab buster 3 times a week for thee minutes and you’ll look like THIS.” Or just walk and you’ll be lean in no time.
One day I wanted it.
Literally one day I woke up and took the most critical step, I wanted to change. I wanted it, Me, not because others said I should, I wanted to change. This is the first step anyone has to have to make drastic change in their life, you have to want it for you. I was dead friggin set on it, there was no question in my mind. It’s night and day the mind set now looking back.
The reason I didn’t change prior wasn’t do to the use of lack luster “secret” methods or diets, it was simply not really wanting to change. Yeah, prior I kinda wanted it. Others, my family, said I should and pushed me, or even tried to force it in belittlement. That approach doesn’t work, it just makes you do the opposite in spite, if you're any kind of type 1 personality.
I loved cramming my pie hole with bags of chips, doughnuts, and chasing that with cases of beer and liquor, followed by late night pizza. It’s honestly was hard damn work to be that big. You have to try. Like getting to any extreme, you're putting in effort to be FAT.
Now it was different, I honestly whole heartedly wanted to make a change, nothing was going to stop me. Desire turned into action, change, and change quickly turned into results. FAST results.
There were three critical differences this time.
I made goals to change my life. I was fed up and was going to lose weight. NOW, not fat but weight which was most important to me, at a bubblery 300 lbs it didn’t matter. If I trained at all, and was active I was not going to lose muscle on my folding, flopping physique. So why sweat it, I simply needed to lose weight and size. I set a goal of 215lbs. My dad was nearly the same build as me and kind of a stud at 215. So there it was, a concrete goal.
Next the tools. The Knowledge. The steps/changes. I believe ignorance was a blessing to me at this point. I lifted but knew very little of the lifting, I could bench and could ¼ squat 315, I was active and worked heavy steel construction. I ate but honestly knew very little of sound eating practice.
I was lucky in coming from a family where I was taught to cook and loved spices. BOY did I love to cook, and it showed. I was on my own to do this. Just implement changes that I thought would work. I wasn’t overwhelmed by this over that approach, or this over that technique. I wasn’t aware of paralysis by analysis due to plain ignorance.
I had two tools, one training and one diet related and I did ‘EM to the fullest.
Like has been said, any plan can work if you DO THE PLAN, just do it and stick to it. All diets work if you do them, all training will produce results if you do it. That aint no Bull pucky. Try it. Pick something and actually commit and believe in it. Don’t question it or yourself just DO it. See what happens, you’ll be surprised.
Last thing. I kept it quiet. I didn’t tell people save for a select few. I had my goals had my missions and was going to let the actions speak for them selves. Instead of looking for outside support from the whole damn world, I told a very few select people (one I think) and let the others catch on. I was NOT going to let the goal / life sucking Piranha that is society (even friends and family) have a chance at putting doubt or negative thought in my head. I didn’t need them. It was me who wanted this, and it was me that had to do this.
It was GO time.
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